What would you buy if you thought you’d soon lose access to buying it?
Posted by PolarisFallen2@reddit | preppers | View on Reddit | 394 comments
Regardless of your read on current events or what you’re prepping for, I think this is an interesting question to consider. While the ideal answer is that we all have everything we need already, most of us don’t have unlimited funds and probably have things we’d hope to get (or get more of) before we would need them.
Before getting bogged down on the issue of why you may not be able to get something in the future, here are some examples: - Panic buying or low availability. - Price of the item expected to skyrocket. - Concern about the item no longer being sold. - Infrastructure issues in general or changes in relationships with countries where the item or its components are sourced.
What would you prioritize getting your hands on quickly if you became concerned that soon it would be very difficult or impossible to purchase?
rvlifestyle74@reddit
Girl scout cookies. Thin mints to be more specific.
nekozuki@reddit
Aldi has knockoffs that are almost identical.
dedragonhow@reddit
So does Dollar Tree and Dollar General.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
They’re selling them now
That_Play7634@reddit
And AR50. With incendiary ammo. And some bunnies.
1970s_again@reddit
What the bunny wabbits for?
That_Play7634@reddit
Shhh, be vewy, vewy quiet.
Sunshine33_@reddit
Books
MmeHomebody@reddit
Medications, both prescription and over the counter. Pet foods. Fabric and sewing notions. Clothing (ever try to sew a bra?). Hobby materials that come from overseas, like inks and embroidery thread. Bicycles and parts, particularly tires.
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
I have made my own bras before. The best ones I made used the pattern for a ren-faire bodice, but with the bottom 3 inches cut off.
I suggest along with your sewing supplies and fabric, look for a book on how to make your own sewing patterns.
MmeHomebody@reddit
Thank you so much for the suggestion! I've made my own patterns, but the ones for bras were a spectacular failure (or maybe just a spectacle :)
I'm going to try the bodice mod idea as soon as I can. Modern elastic filled bras should be outlawed.
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
There was a different style of bra I saw recently that looked easier, but I haven't gotten around to making one yet. I think it was originally a bikini top, but the style seems like it would work with non-stretchy fabrics.
Start with a strip of cloth that goes horizontally around the ribcage, and ties (or buckles if you want) at the sternum. Just keep impact dangers in mind if you use a buckle, you don't want anything poking the wrong way!
Now take two more strips of cloth, wider at one end than the other. I'm thinking 6-8in at the wider end is probably a good size, but there is some experimentation needed. Taper down to 2-3in at the narrow end. You'll probably want it to do most of the tapering before it passes over the shoulder. How long these are depends on the person's measurements. The two strips cross near where they attach to the horizontal strip, with the cross centered on the person's back. At the other end, the widest part of the fabric would need to be gathered where it attaches to the horizontal at the front, creating a pocket. How big a pocket will depend on the person's measurements.
I tend to go overboard on detail when trying to describe something, so I hope I don't sound like I'm talking down at anyone! I'm just trying to translate the picture in my head in the most accurate way possible, while also avoiding any censoring algorithms that might be at work.
If you decide to try this style, let me know how it works! My sewing supplies are currently buried at the back of a storage unit :/
MmeHomebody@reddit
Wow, thanks! That was very detailed and I could almost see how it's sewn from your description. I'm gonna try that as soon as things settle down here. I'm a wide lady with a B cup so they just don't make my size, and I've wanted a bra that doesn't bring me to tears after 8 hours for quite some time.
Appreciate your help. Happy sewing!
doggowithacone@reddit
Listen, when SHTF I will happily give up my bra and never look back.
BayouGal@reddit
I already did & have been a lot happier!
Am3thyst_Asuna@reddit
I haven’t worn a bra in like two years. Never felt better
grandiose-narrator@reddit
I am so jealous. I wish I could give up my bras but my back pain says otherwise.
EstablishedFortune@reddit
Do you guys have a local meetup group?
SoDone317@reddit
Right! I’m like “there’s bras”? Uh oh.
DrierYoungus@reddit
Me: throws shit at fan
WillBottomForBanana@reddit
Tires AND tubes. Tubeless bike tires are not going to be sustainable in a pinch.
Other wear parts like cables and brake pads are an ok idea, but far less important.
Lube and chain cleaner.
Other parts that wear out eventually, especially derailleurs, are less important.
Anyone serious about it should find a bike compatible with the most parts currently in existence on bikes. Salvage would be big.
MmeHomebody@reddit
Agree, thanks!
ItchyEscalator@reddit
Bike parts - smart! And we always already have too much printer ink and paper, but never enough calligraphy ink and origami or scrapbook paper. Or Velcro, which I count as a sewing notion.
MmeHomebody@reddit
I'm ashamed to say I just thought of the bike parts tonight when I was considering if other nations get annoyed enough at us, we could end up with another oil embargo and then - back to the bicycle. Parts for which, especially tires, come from elsewhere.
I get my embroidery thread from a place in France. I think our world is about to get much smaller for a while. Best wishes.
Everything_Is_Bawson@reddit
If it helps, the U.S. has been a net exporter of oil since 2022. We make more than we use now.
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Ooh getting a bike to begin with needs to go on my list.
Exciting-Buyer-7588@reddit
Guns, poppy seeds, tobacco seeds, weed seeds. If I was prepping for a long term post war/apocalypse society, I'd want the low maintenance stuff that has real value.
Amazing-Ad7471@reddit
Well first I would have to actually HAVE access to buying it but a vehicle or maybe just a place to call home😭 Lost mine two years ago after my mom died. Have been living in a run down camper without running water or proper insolation for two years now and tonight it's ❄️❄️❄️❄️ 🥶🥶🥶🥶🥶! I have a tiki torch burning and am freezing my bum off!!! If I had a car I would be heating up in it! Smaller space and plenty of blankets in a car is easier to keep warm than this airy camper
Ok-Suit6589@reddit
Epi pens for my son. He has food allergies.
tblake13@reddit
Have you heard of the EpiPencil? Might be an idea for a backup to a backup to a backup
ciresemik@reddit
So I just looked this up, and it's basically building your own, right? So you'd still need the epinephrine. If you get that, couldn't you just use a regular syringe instead of having to build an auto-injector? Or am I missing the point?
tblake13@reddit
Honestly I’m not sure, their design may just designed around epinephrine that has to be used with an auto-injector. In theory what you’re saying sounds right, but it’s honestly been awhile since I’ve looked at the plans. I heard about it on a podcast years ago and looked it up then
PrepperBoi@reddit
I’m not sure if it’s still an issue, but there was an issue getting the medical grade auto injectors for various types of medicine. There was a shortage.
Ok-Suit6589@reddit
I haven’t thank you for sharing. Going to do some research.
dericecourcy@reddit
Coffee, candy, sriracha
Counterboudd@reddit
Coffee is my top one. I probably need to start stockpiling it, as something that has to come from the tropics and has a relatively small area where it grows, I could easily see it becoming unavailable or too expensive in the relatively near future. And I am desperately addicted so I won’t last long post collapse without it.
grebetrees@reddit
Just an interesting aside: If you live in North America, Yaupon Holly has caffeine in the leaves and makes a good tea. It grows wild, even weedy, in the southeast, and is widely available in the horticultural trade
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
During the Depression my great aunt drank chicory. It’s wild on the sides of the road.
grebetrees@reddit
Roasted chicory or dandelion root for flavor, yaupon for the caffeine
Flaky-Scar-2758@reddit
roasted chicory was also used as coffee surrogate all over the Eastern Europe under Soviet boot
Meanness_52@reddit
Chicory contains latex in the stems if you're allergic to it. Not sure on the flowers.
Counterboudd@reddit
Interesting, looks like it really only grows in the southeast though.
grebetrees@reddit
Mail order a couple https://territorialseed.com/products/yaupon
iridescent-shimmer@reddit
I subscribe and save my coffee in bulk off of Amazon and the usual $28 is now $38 and then when unavailable for the first time in like 5 years. So yeah, I'm glad I have about 3-4 months worth of beans in my pantry.
Enough-Ad-563@reddit
The problem with coffee: It may last up to a year in a sealed bag if stored in a cool, dry, dark place, but once it's opened, it may last up to a month, but the flavor may start to decline after about three weeks. Storing beans long term is not recommended.
iridescent-shimmer@reddit
Yeah I only buy one bag a month, which usually lasts one month. But, with travel and such, I end up a few weeks behind which I'm okay with then having some unopened bags in my pantry.
Enough-Ad-563@reddit
Well then, that makes perfect sense.
Min_Sedai@reddit
I worry about coffee the most. I keep several months of beans, and a brick or two of Lavazza. I also have a bunch of #10 cans of instant coffee as a super emergency backup. Things have to get really bad for me to drink instant coffee, but I'm ready just in case.
2quickdraw@reddit
Try European and Japanese instant coffees. European coffee of course would be Illy, Hemut Sachers, Douwe Egberts, Mount Hagen. From Japan I like Bushido, all varieties. All of it comes in glass, all of it is imported, all of it can be enjoyed black. It doesn't take up the space of either roasted or green beans in there is no effort other than adding water and stirring. I have a big pile in my closet already.
sancroid1@reddit
Quit coffee. I did, and I was at 12 cups a day.
Cronewithneedles@reddit
Heh. My hoard of Café Bustelo bricks. Walmart has them cheapest here so I buy two every time I go.
DefinitelyChad@reddit
What does the expiration date say?
Cronewithneedles@reddit
Does it matter? When there is no coffee to be had these are vacuum packed on Mylar.
DefinitelyChad@reddit
I’m just curious that is all
improbablydrunknlw@reddit
According to this site it has a 720 day shelf life.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
I’m doing that right now.
nekozuki@reddit
Wonder if people who live close enough to the Canadian border will be hopping over it to buy things like coffee in the near future.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
Coffee is not in good shape right now. They have been in a drought since last year plus fires.
Ingawolfie@reddit
Yes indeed. I’m learning to roast them now. When Costco has my favorite beans on sale I stock up. They just did so I bought a six month supply. The beans are whole. I pick through to find the ones that are rightly vacuum sealed and store them in the freezer.
_Whatisthisoldthing_@reddit
Unfortunately it's likely to be things like prescription medications.
garfield529@reddit
I roast coffee, so my advice would be to play with learning to roast. Lots of low tech ways to do it. The green coffee beans have a longer shelf life, and probably longer when stored under mylar and vacuum. Check out Coffee Bean Corral. $5-8/lb is typical. Fresh roast is awesome. Don’t forget that coffee ground are excellent in gardens and compost bins.
Excellent_Condition@reddit
The problem with coffee is it's hard to stockpile. The oils are very susceptible to ratification.
If you roast your own green coffee it can be stored for longer because it's more stable than it is after roasting.
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Honestly the morale snacks have to be high on the list
endlesssearch482@reddit
Brownie mix is just something that I always have a backstock of. It would suck to not have a brownie when I wanted one.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
Make sure you have eggs and oil
endlesssearch482@reddit
I have a barter system with my neighbor. I grow potatoes, he raises chickens; i trade eggs for potatoes. I don’t have the time for livestock and he loves them. He doesn’t have the gumption to grow things. It’s perfect.
Maestr0o0@reddit
Would be Tabasco for me 🤤
PrepperBoi@reddit
Right now I’d probably buy bulk eggs/milk/chicken. I think h5n1 could be another covid, and even if it doesn’t affect people, the way it’s hurting cows milk production and having to cull chickens it will have an impact on the economy.
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
I’ve been wondering about that one too. Not sure of a good way to store eggs or milk long term though.
4ureddit@reddit
Dehydrate them. Cheaper than freeze dried and last just as long depending on how you prep them. Dehydrate on 135 for 10-12hr. Let cool for 1-2hr. Blend to a fine powder and place back in the dehydrator for 2-3 @ 125
Owenleejoeking@reddit
You can water glass whole eggs.
PrepperBoi@reddit
Unwashed whole eggs *
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
We have powdered whole eggs in a #10 can and powdered whole milk lasts longer than non fat.
bs2k2_point_0@reddit
Not only can eggs be frozen up to a year (ok for scrambled eggs but won’t make delicate egg dishes like poached) but although expensive, a good dehydrator can process eggs which when ground into a powder and stored well can last longer. I wish I could drop like 1500+ on a dehydrator.
PrepperBoi@reddit
You can get both in #10 cans. Eggs are expensive though! Milk is around $20 and eggs are like $55.
I bought 15 dozen eggs from Sam’s club and they lasted us a little over 2 months in the fridge. So 2 months worth of fresh eggs is nice at least.
I’d like to get a harvest right so I can freeze dry my own eggs.
ThisIsAbuse@reddit
You can freeze eggs for up to one year. Lots of ways, but I wisk them and put in "cube like" freezer trays and then pop out and put in freezer bags.
#10 cans - they can be expensive. Since the last shortage (2020/2021 I think) I have watched the sales of major FD #10 cans and bought on deep sales. 25 year shelf life helps with this approach.
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
I'm seriously looking at aviaries so I can raise quail indoors.
PrepperBoi@reddit
Why not just chickens or turkey?
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
I have chickens. I'm thinking of moving those indoors too. One of them is indoors already because she's recovering from an injury. She's a little smelly, but not nearly as smelly as I expected, which is where this whole "move the flock indoors" train of thought started. That, and I'm going to need to move again soon, and I've noticed that "birds as house-pets" seem more acceptable to landlords than "birds in the coop outside".
But I think quail would be better suited to indoor life. And when raising them for meat, quail have a shorter turnaround time.
If I had my house built, I would be adding turkeys to the mix, and a bunch more chickens. But I'm not even at the point yet where I can start construction, so that's on hold.
PrepperBoi@reddit
If you have a covered run and don’t let them scavenge in the yard, it’s far less likely for them to get sick outdoors.
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
At this point, bird flu is a secondary concern. Finding a way to keep them with me while moving to a different rental is a bigger deal. I just barely found this one after almost 7 months of searching, and it's a short-term lease. I have to move out by the end of March.
I would love to keep them outside. They would definitely prefer that, too. But I'm facing the very real possibility that turning my chickens into "house pets" might be the only way I can bring them with me.
It sucks. But that's the situation.
PrepperBoi@reddit
I’ve had to move every few years for work so I’m stuck renting too but at least it’s a house not an apartment or condo. My dogs need a yard to run.
Thankfully this one has its own pool so having that much water is noce
Lulukassu@reddit
Seeds and fruit/nut trees and shrubs and vines would be number one.
Number 2 would be breeding stock for whatever livestock I could handle on my current property under my current circumstances, even if that's just rabbits and quail.
Number 3 would be solar panels. There are tons of ways to work around energy storage, but generating the energy in the first place is really valuable.
2quickdraw@reddit
Rabbits and quail cover a lot of ground. I started around 15 months ago and I'm doing great with the rabbits, have had quail for four years now. The problem is what will you feed them if you are out of their special feeds? A lot of my dry good preps cover both people, quail, and rabbits, and the rabbits and quail help cover for the dogs. Also some of the quail feed can double as seeds for various greens and grain plants.
Lulukassu@reddit
I'm definitely doing research on what to grow to effectively feed quail without the feed store. Their protein requirements (and the necessity to contain them) make them a bit more challenging than chickens and ducks.
Rabbits I've been feeding out of my garden for years though.
Radiant_Ad_6565@reddit
Lotion. Yes, lotion. I have seeds, fruit plants, chicken, renewable heat/ cooking source ( wood). I have blankets, winter clothing, extra fabric, sewing notions, yarn. 2 pressure canners, more jars than I can count, and extra extra rings. But I have figured out how to keep myself soft without lotion.
Chocolate would be a very close second.
Ymareth@reddit
Seeds.
Cute-Consequence-184@reddit
Most seeds are only viable 3-4 years, some only 1 year. And if you don't garden, have your ground ready, have tools, have fertilizer, have other organic stuff available.... Seeds won't do you any good at all.
Ymareth@reddit
I garden. The question was what I would buy, if I lost access to it, not what everyone else should buy. We all live in different circumstances and make different choices.
Also it's not like properly stored seeds loose all viability overnight.
And what's not to say someone can't spend a year learning gardening? Then seeds will do you good even if you started out not knowing anything about it.
Cute-Consequence-184@reddit
In the US you can get books about what and when to plant locally. Not what exact seeds to plant but what type will work in your area normally and you can get what brand and type you want.
Oh you can learn gardening. But there are people who invest a bunch of money into seeds on a "what if" idea and they don't have ground to even plant them into, no tools, no anything except seeds.
Ground is hard to prepare, especially when converting from yard to garden. Then you need amendments and at the very least hand tools.
Seeds are touted as one of the "must haves" in the prepper world without including everything else that is needed to garden. I've gardened my whole life and I'm still taking a Master Gardeners course this year to learn new things.
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
See, I buy seeds every year as if I have twice as much time and garden space as I really do. One of my favorite hobbies is not gardening so much as planning the gardening.
Hot-Profession4091@reddit
I would really recommend learning how to save seeds. Each plant is a little different, but how prepared are you if you’re relying on a catalog or hardware store to supply your plants for you?
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Totally agree on this one. Anyone with even just one of those heirloom seed vaults sitting around should also have a resource handy on both how to grow them and seed saving. A few tomato seeds can be infinite tomatoes or none.
Hot-Profession4091@reddit
I organized a community seed swap yesterday and was basically begging people to take the extra I had saved.
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
With some of those species that aren't customarily started from seed, seeds are still available if you want them. I always recommend at least a few packets of true potato seed, in case something happens to your supply of seed potatoes. https://www.cultivariable.com/ is an excellent source for both seeds and information on that.
Strawberry seeds are even easier to find. I think roughly half the seed catalogs I get have at least one variety of strawberry seed for sale.
Onions are complicated. Not only are they biennials, they are also highly vulnerable to inbreeding depression, and the seeds only have a very short shelf life. It might be more practical to look for something like "Potato Onions" and have a patch established. The bulbs multiply by themselves, forming clusters.
(Plant-breeder here. This is my obsession.)
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Love this! I’ve never heard of potato onions but will research. I’ve heard of Egyptian walking onions, though not sure how similar to standard onions. I have fallen down the rabbit hole of perennial food forest/native food-producing plants recently! Definitely makes me wish I had more property.
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
I'm allergic to onions so I haven't eaten any myself, but I did grow Egyptian walking onions for a bit, and the onion-eaters in my family said it had a very bitter core. They liked the potato onions better, although not as much as vidalias.
I have the potato onions planted around some of my apple trees as a groundcover. I'm testing to see if it cuts down on nibblers.
hoardac@reddit
How long are the potato seeds viable for?
Open-Attention-8286@reddit
It varies a bit depending on storage conditions, but 20 years wouldn't be unthinkable.
hoardac@reddit
Thanks I am going to grab some. I am in the middle of potato country but going to give it a shot.
missbwith2boys@reddit
Onion seeds don’t store well, so if you already have some seeds that are a few years old, it may be worth getting more.
I’m starting to see some fruit plants at the big box stores, so they may have bare root strawberries in your local nursery.
Yung_Oldfag@reddit
You should look into landrace gardening, it's about adapting seeds to your specific context
JustUgh2323@reddit
I’ve been intending to order some from Burpees this year and save the leftovers in the freezer. I understand they last a long time if stored in glass jars.
garfield529@reddit
A lot of Burpees seeds are hybrids and don’t produce viable seeds. Some do but a lot don’t. Check out Baker Creek Seeds. The owner only does heirlooms and their prices are reasonable. I have been harvesting seeds from beans we started a decade ago and every year they are solid producers.
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Be careful with baker creek. From what I’ve seen, they accidentally sold GMO seeds last year labelled as something else, etc. MI Gardener is my favorite and cheaper!
jackl_antrn@reddit
Baker creek is garbage. I wouldn’t give them a penny.
There are tons of better seed companies out there, imo. Johnnie’s, Botanical impressions, seed savers, etc.
garfield529@reddit
Interesting, we haven’t had issues with their seeds. Any insight into why you call them garbage? Anyway, thanks for the ideas, I will check out the three you recommend. We are going to have a seed exchange in my community in the next few weeks, so I will order some varieties to share.
jackl_antrn@reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/gardening/s/ShqxE0qiU0
garfield529@reddit
Deng….thanks for sharing.
TumbleweedTemporary@reddit
SeedsNow.com is also a good resource for heirloom/non-gmo seeds. I’ve used them a lot throughout the years and the seeds have always been viable. They sometimes give small sampler packs away with orders also (who doesn’t like a freak gift!)
JustUgh2323@reddit
Good to know. Thanks
Hot-Profession4091@reddit
Grow heirlooms and learn how to save the seed. Yes, it’s good to have a backup stash, but we save more than we could ever plant every year. I like to joke with my wife that we’ll be able to plant the whole neighborhood if things ever collapse.
TKAP75@reddit
MG3
ferds41@reddit
Freedom seeds. Especially the 22lr variety
boyas1234@reddit
This.
RevolutionaryTwist22@reddit
Acetaminophen and benadryl.
David_Parker@reddit
My boots.
I'm a boot wearing guy. And I'm kinda picky. When I find what I like, I wear the shit out of them. There was one model that I wore daily, and they stopped making them. In hindsight, I'd buy as many pairs as I could to last me the rest of my life.
AltGunAccount@reddit
Been wearing the same tennis shoes (same model, new pairs) for like 8 years and am now at the end of my stock after they discontinued them about 2 years ago.
I feel your pain.
2quickdraw@reddit
Look for your brand and size used on eBay. The only issue I could comfortably wear for walking dogs for hours at a time in my job was Keen Bryce. I always had three or four extras in the closet and I would rotate two pair. I wore them until the tread was mostly gone. I still have one new pair left and I'm 5 plus years retired. All the old ones I saved for yard shoes until they were completely used up. I bought two or three pairs used on eBay that looked clean and well cared for and barely used, I could tell how much wear by looking at the soles and the inner back of the heel cup. Worked out fine. Normally used shoes would gross me TF out but it was okay.
Necessary_Profile553@reddit
Bellevue boots
nezzman@reddit
I have 12 pairs of the same boots 😂 they are not made any more but come up on eBay from time to time and I scoop them up.
improbablydrunknlw@reddit
Damn, I thought I was a gangster rolling in with 5 pairs. I get a pair of work bolts every year but I'm not hard on them so I put them away when I get the new ones.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
I’ve been going on eBay too
Environmental_Art852@reddit
My last fave, I had 2 pair. Different color
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
We stocked up on Tevas. We’re in Florida and go thru so any. We bought extra underwear 😂 I bought an extra iPad.
707-5150@reddit
Literally was like fuck I wanna get some extra boots cuz the ones I like are getting half way there. Fucking discontinued.
Once I find a new pair I’m going to have two usable ones for sure! lol
Beelzeburb@reddit
For anyone reading shoes can deteriorate from sitting unworn. I’d assume boots could have issues as well. Obviously vintage sneakers exist so there has to be a solution. Just research before stocking up. 👍
dkstr419@reddit
My sneaker head students (they buy,sell, and collect sneakers- Air Jordan for example) are finding out that sneakers deteriorate even if you never wear them and keep them in a box in their closet. Ooof.
davidm2232@reddit
It would take a while. I still wear boots I had in high school 15 years ago. Only a few times a year, but they are still fine
PrepperBoi@reddit
It depends on the materials and storage conditions
Sempervirens17@reddit
Its hard too because you don’t know how their durability or longevity until you wear them for a year, to know if you want more pairs.
707-5150@reddit
Yea. True. Guess I have to work 2x as hard now to find out sooner….
grandmaratwings@reddit
Not a perfect solution, but I keep shoegoo on hand. It’s kept several pairs of shoes or boots going longer.
Affectionate_Pen611@reddit
I was thinking about this yesterday. My favorite slip on Keens for work were out of stock so I bought an Ariat version. They have been fantastic. The soles wear well, very waterproof and comfortable. It occurred to me that I should buy a couple pairs to avoid having to find a similar boot again.
Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit
Yeah boots is a good one, I have mine custom made. That said it's not like I'd stock up on boots, but I would on boot conditioner so my boots last.
Embarrassed-Lynx6526@reddit
Oh yes.
I have chronic pain from a wreck. I can only wear certain shoes without extreme pain.
Gabba-gool@reddit
Give us the boot details
David_Parker@reddit
Well I wear Redwings now, (which sucked in terms of breaking in), but I wore Danner Acadias for a long time (which were friggin' great) but the boots were the Pro-Warrington 6006. Best boots I've ever worn and protected my feet from everything. Then they were bought out by Honeywell, who eventually dropped the model.
GETNRDUNN@reddit
100%
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Good one. I’ve definitely bought duplicates of shoes before when I really liked them. Even without such a specific situation, having a backup pair of sturdy shoes on hand is a big one.
Lost_Card_7257@reddit
Hmm good question.
-Toyota/Lexus V8s -5.56 or 300 blackout -Property
Thankfully I have all of those covered.
pick-a-bar@reddit
More guitars, probably.
Plenty_Treat5330@reddit
Paper books.
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Circling back to this one, wanted to recommend ThriftBooks for anyone looking for paper books. They sell new and used… I commonly find books there for under $5
Plenty_Treat5330@reddit
Yep they are a great source for out of print books as well.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
I am buying so many good used books and saved magazines.
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Such a good one, I just saw a post about this
cootiequeen69@reddit
Diet Dr. Pepper
Germainshalhope@reddit
My man. I keep wanting to order a 5 gallon bag of the syrup.
cootiequeen69@reddit
IS THAT AN OPTION?!
olsollivinginanuworl@reddit
Solar charger for cellphone 📱
CharmingMechanic2473@reddit
Over the counter medication to stop pregnancy if the condom breaks. Also over the counter mini pill that is over the counter this past year.
banjosandcellos@reddit
Face masks and different kinds of lysol
Tiredofthenuts@reddit
Abortion pills. Plan B. Birth control.
SkyMasterARC@reddit
Prescription contact lenses. There's no generic version of these, unlike glasses. You can find glasses that are close to your prescription and get by, doesn't work with contacts. Theres diameter and base curve. Everyone's eyeballs are a little different.
HaiC25@reddit
And they have a surprisingly high shelf life! my current box doesn't expire until 2030 and I purchased them spring 2024.
Little_Finding_1561@reddit
Mary Jane for sure
Bruja789@reddit
Baby formula.
Albine2@reddit
I'd buy AR-15
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
I’ve got a 357 revolver but I’m getting older, the kick might break my wrist 😅
Albine2@reddit
Just use .38s they work without the recoil
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
I’m 74 yr woman, 110 lbs there’s recoil but I mostly have .38s
Albine2@reddit
If recoil is a problem and you want to get another gun, one chambered in .380 would work, but you would lose a bit of stopping power
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
I’ve got a Ruger Super Maverick that I can use mini mags for target and small game and a Ruger MK ll. I’m fine.
Albine2@reddit
👍
HundrumEngr@reddit
I ordered freeze dried eggs and dairy since both industries could get decimated by bird flu in the near future. I know I can live without them but they’re a “nice to have”.
I think meds are the biggest concern. I can’t get pregnant anymore, but I have My Way (Plan B) in case someone near me needs it. Ella is better but requires a prescription. Mifepristone and misoprostol could become practically impossible to get. ADHD meds could also become an issue.
Scientific_Cabbage@reddit
Nicotine but I’m a degen
Specific-Ostrich2024@reddit
Buy tobacco seeds to grow
Scientific_Cabbage@reddit
I started looking at that maybe a month ago. Watched some guy on YouTube make a Copenhagen dupe and it didn’t look that difficult. Still trying to figure out what can grow in the desert where I live.
DaneTX@reddit
Honestly was thinking about cigarettes.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
I don’t smoke anymore but in the blizzard of 1979 I was trading food for cigarettes with my neighbors. Make sure you get some patches so if you do run out ooooh it’s brutal
rvlifestyle74@reddit
The one thing I can't seem to keep around. Good old Copenhagen.
interzonal28721@reddit
I mean how long will sealed zynns last?
dewy65@reddit
In theory they should be good for years and years, even if dry you can just put a couple drops of water into a tin and rehydrate them if you really needed too
SgtRimjob@reddit
At least 6 months, at least based on manufacture’s expiration. Probably closer to 2-3 years in actuality though.
rvlifestyle74@reddit
I honestly couldn't tell you. But you could rotate your stock until you couldn't. I guess SHTF is a good time to quit tobacco. Or at least until somebody grows some and figures out how to make it into wintergreen.
Scientific_Cabbage@reddit
I hope I never have to find out. I switched from a 20 year Copenhagen habit to Zyn (or equivalent) almost 2 years ago.
US3RN4M3CH3CKSOUT@reddit
Antibiotics. Ammo. Seeds. Coffee.
Informal-Force7417@reddit
a new planet ;)
CasualObservationist@reddit
In no particular order: Cat litter, coffee, gasoline, water.
Specific-Ostrich2024@reddit
Installing a wood burning stove in my house. I'm saving up for it.
YBI-YBI@reddit
Breeder rabbits. I already grow their feed and I need about a rabbit a day to feed my dogs.
Frying oil. I don’t deep fry at home so I don’t keep it around, but I would occasionally in that scenario. Sometimes people just need a potato chip. Fats in general. The shelf-life is so short and I only store what we use in a few months. Probably can a bunch of meat to put olive oil in its place in the freezers.
Ok-Way8392@reddit
What do you do to clean used oil so you can reuse it? Thanks for the instructions!
Orangecheetomanbad@reddit
Strain through a coffee filter. Cone filters work better.
Ok-Way8392@reddit
Thank you!!
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
Rabbits is one I didn’t think of.
redhandrail@reddit
A rabbit a day to feed your dogs?
YBI-YBI@reddit
Farm dogs. They are on a half raw diet already. Not counting the voles and baby rabbits they catch when they are working with us.
redhandrail@reddit
but you're killing a meat rabbit a day to feed the dogs? I'm very curious. I was thinking about raising rabbits but I read that one of the roughest parts of raising them is how many you have to kill, and how often, because like you said, they don't make a ton of meat.
But I was surprised that you're killing one rabbit a day and feeding it to the dogs. Then again, I know next to nothing about farm life.
YBI-YBI@reddit
If refrigeration is working, we’d do them in batches. Make bone broth, eat some ourselves. The meat breeds will have as much meat as a chicken, if you want to get a rough idea. Dogs need 2-2.5% of their body weight in raw food. Mine are busy working dogs so on the higher end. They weigh 80 lbs each, so 4 lbs of raw meat a day if kibble/canned food weren’t available.
We’ve had and eaten all the barnyard fowl at various times. DH has raised rabbits, I haven’t. We need animals we can feed without going to the feed store, and that’s geese or rabbits. But now is not the time to be introducing poultry back to the farm. So in the rhetorical question, it’s rabbits. If this avian flu situation gets worse, finding breeding pairs may not be easy.
Harvesting animals isn’t work I look forward to. But if you eat meat, and I do, it is honest work with some satisfaction for doing it as humanely and hygienically as possible. YouTube is not the place to learn. Find a friend that will let you help. But first get a tetanus shot and learn to sharpen your knives!
Tim_Bersau@reddit
Basically anything that is imported, and/or anything expensive.
If a $5 item increases by 50%, that's +$2.5.
If a $500 item increases by 50%, that's +$250.
d_istired@reddit
Medication, underwear, comfortable shoes, all hygiene related items. I tend to prioritize stocking up on this kind of items when building my family's survival kits.
Dredly@reddit
If you are into PC gaming at all, I'd highly suggest buying another PC if you can afford it, The Taiwan/China problem is going to be super dicey
demogirl06@reddit
Tampons and Ibuprofen.
unnamed__protagonist@reddit
Wow you guys are so responsible. My first thought was Tom Ford Cherry Smoke. My favorite perfume by far:DDD
pasegr@reddit
Going through this in Canada right now. Guns, never thought I would say it but the government has been slowly banning guns since 2020.
interzonal28721@reddit
Hopefully y'all fix that soon. Hard to be free without them
pasegr@reddit
Hopefully, early election in May!
improbablydrunknlw@reddit
Hope Singh doesn't back out.
Artistic_Ask4457@reddit
Smokes 😫
rufor69@reddit
antibiotics
Feeling-Buffalo2914@reddit
Okay a slightly different take on this.
First having gone through the 1994-2004 AW Ban, I would stock up on ammunition and magazines. You should already have the firearms. Have a spare for your primary. You don’t need 50 guns, but enough ammunition and mags to last are important. $12 mags selling for $120? No thanks, done that already.
Now, take a look at Venezuela, Zimbabwe and Cuba over the last couple of decades. What are they missing? What are the things that they desperately want and need? Life doesn’t stop just because something bad happens.
OTC meds, small spare parts, fishing gear, etc.
Sounds silly but as an example, string trimmer parts and supplies. Depending on what happens, it may not be the SHTF, but an economic war with the east. And what happens to the cheap parts and materials that keep the thing running? Do you want to be out there with a pair of clippers and doing this by hand? You may not have a yard, but the concept is the same for everything.
Power supplies, how can you keep “dirty power” from ruining your freezer and fridge?
Your favorite toothpaste, coats $5 now, but how much later? Get yourself a years supply now at the sale price compared to the price later. Use half as much and you have a 2 year supply.
What does it take to keep your vehicle running? Not just fuel but filters, oil, grease, tools. My truck uses a special wiper blade, only put them on one year and went back to the conventional type. I keep a couple pairs on hand.
Think of daily life first.
Reasonable-Wave5819@reddit
Bandaids, boots, bras. 😄
Reasonable-Wave5819@reddit
I'm actually serious
MotownCatMom@reddit
Rx meds. I take several. Maybe some broad-spectrum antibiotics.
braincovey32@reddit
Land with access to oil in Texas
TheLightBlinded@reddit
Tampons.
jerkbike@reddit
I’d recommend a menstrual cup over tampons. Less waste
Wee_Besom@reddit
Yes! Menstrual cups/disks and period panties are a game changer!
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
Definitely buy out the store!
Grand-Corner1030@reddit
Chocolate.
Its the simple things that keep your marriage alive.
GirliesBigDad@reddit
Morale is so important! Everyone becomes unraveled and restless without some comforts.
Other-Rutabaga-1742@reddit
I remember backpacking in the Grand Canyon and we ate the same stuff day and night. One night one of our guides busted out one of those jello instant cherry cheesecake things and omg, nothing tasted better in my life! You definitely need those treats every so often.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
I’ve stocked up on chocolate and hard candy.
Popular_Try_5075@reddit
Yeah, I think chocolate is an underrated choice.
grandiose-narrator@reddit
Coffee. Not for myself, but because I live with someone who is very unpleasant without their morning cup lol.
For myself it would probably be ibuprofen, which I already buy in huge bottles from Costco.
Holler51@reddit
Cigarettes
SingedPenguin13@reddit
Teeth. A whole two racks of em
jnyquest@reddit
Primers, powder, boolets and brass.
Heavy_Gap_5047@reddit
Prioritizing powder and primer. Freedom seeds can be made and brass reused.
jnyquest@reddit
I prioritize em all. You'll never get a lead freedom seed to consistantly group near as well as one that is jacketed.
Environmental_Art852@reddit
My passport
CharlotteBadger@reddit
Many many lbs of green coffee beans. Specific prescription meds. A lifetime supply of naproxen.
aStretcherFetcher@reddit
Glasses / contacts&solution in various worsening strengths to last a while
LilithFiles@reddit
This has been on my mind this week. I’m going through my supply closet and BOB to organize. Probably do a Costco run to stock up on essentials before the price hikes. Probably stock up on pharmacy supplies. Then just focus on saving as much as possible. I just got my car serviced too. I’d love to buy a gun before summer, just depends on cash flow. I’m lowkey hoping my grandma will gift me one from my grandpa’s collection. He has a ton of prepper gear/supplies.
NewYorkRagdolls@reddit
Want to save more move in with grandma lol
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Costco run and pharmacy supplies are on my list for the weekend too.
EscapeCharming2624@reddit
Extra reading glasses
DreamCabin@reddit
Seeds and salt
Efficient_Mobile_391@reddit
Hookers and Blow
hbHPBbjvFK9w5D@reddit
Maybe not. Cocaine has been used for almost 200 years for it's properties as anesthetic, vasoconstrictior, stimulant.
Many years ago I worked as a dental assistant with a dental surgeon who had one of the last DEA permits to use cocaine in his practice.
We had a young kid who came in one night when we were on call - he'd planted face first on the sidewalk when he fell off his bike. Nose broken, multiple teeth and front jaw smashed up - bloody mess. But the kid was in pain and scared and fighting us, so the nursing aides were gonna strap him down to a backboard to work on the kid, which would have been traumatizing in it's own right.
So my boss thought a few seconds and asked us if he could borrow our make-up kits out of our purses. A few minutes later, the "Fairy God-Mother" appeared and told the kid that she had a magic wand that would take away all his pain. Bonus points if you guessed it was q-tip with a little distilled water and a pinch of cocaine. Handed the kid the magic wand and told him to just touch the tip to the places it hurt and all the pain would go away. And Yep, worked like a charm.
Hey, I'm not saying go into the coke business - remember this guy had a special license, bought it from the government, and certainly didn't have enough if it to deal.
But if your kid has a serious facial lac that needs serious stitch work and you remember that your good-for-nothing cousin might have left a little something-something in the garage - it might be useful knowledge to have.
NewYorkRagdolls@reddit
Why not just use lidocaine or novacaine. I actually purchased a bottle of lidocaine last year online just in case SHTF.
hbHPBbjvFK9w5D@reddit
And lets face it - lidocaine or nonvacaine are gonna be the most accessible option for us law abiding citizens. Sure, works best if injected - and if that kid had been in a shtf situation, they would have just held him down and injected him.
But one of the problems with the war on drugs has been throwing out all the useful meds that do work for a whole host of issues cause "illegal."
BuppaLynn@reddit
If I had a way to safely store it, gasoline and possibly propane.
Ok-Way8392@reddit
How do you store gasoline or propane?
BuppaLynn@reddit
I've seen industrial elevated tanks in places such as trucking companies. That's not for me, but if money weren't an issue I'd consider it. Otherwise no clue. Never looked into it.
themoosboos@reddit
Coffee, chocolate, flour, yeast, salt, sugar, olive oil, dental floss, Castile soap, diapers.
Grand-Corner1030@reddit
Dental floss - I bought a large amount for very cheap. It had to come direct from China (Ali).
it was $5 for 10 rolls, 50m/roll (164 ft). You need to keep larger dispensers and reload. Its not the ribbon stuff, just plain ordinary floss.
According to dentists, you should use about 120 yards per year per person (I googled it). So those 10 rolls represent a 5 year supply for 1 person. $1/year.
Floss is important and underrated. Best of luck fellow prepper.
Teckful@reddit
That dental floss is gonna be spying on your teeth
Pretend-Marsupial258@reddit
At least the lead makes it taste sweet!
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
You might want old fashioned baby diapers. I never used them but we were just talking about that.
themoosboos@reddit
Like cloth diapers? We have some as a back up for emergencies but I dread the idea of having to clean them.
themoosboos@reddit
I already have a good stock of these but I could use more!
formerNPC@reddit
I’m glad that other people said coffee. lol
1970s_again@reddit
You better order some “pandemic” supplies.
TheLostExpedition@reddit
Coffee, chocolate, sugar, flour, seeds, the usual stuff.
greyblue2285@reddit
I would do the same, and I've done it (seeds and coffee especially and Idk but flour too). I have also in panic bought extra meat (big meat eaters in our house). If I see the meat go down in the freezer I feel compelled to order a half a cow (although we don't have the room - it's always the what if - (if it's gone, if this happens, what if we don't have the funds when we need it or there are no cows ready ECT). It boils down to me being able to provide food for the family.
TheLostExpedition@reddit
I keep cows out in the back pasture.
greyblue2285@reddit
One day, my dream/wish is to be like this too ...
TheLostExpedition@reddit
I hope you make it. Home made cheese, milk, and butter from a grass fed cow is amazing. I'm biased, but still.
Realistic-Lunch-2914@reddit
Blood pressure pills, weed & coffee.
Yung_Oldfag@reddit
Unsure if you've heard of this but dollarweed has been shown to reduce blood pressure. Not say to drop your meds for it but could save your life in many SHTF scenarios
MagnoliaProse@reddit
Also hibiscus! https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6621350/
Tree_Weaver_3914@reddit
Also motherwort
New_Internet_3350@reddit
Motherwort grows on my property and I love harvesting it. My husband thinks my bp goes down because we infuse it with vodka.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
Try to adapt but it would suck
swisscoffeeknife@reddit
Personal massager with rechargeable battery
Spongebob_Tightpants@reddit
Ugh — this occurred to me. I may need to buy a backup for when the ones I have inevitably crash.
WaxDream@reddit
Considering Project 2025 already has the gov trying to get rid of League of Legends, I would get on that soon. Open and sexy toys are next
Popular_Try_5075@reddit
Get creative with your gas generator and it becomes a personal massager that recharges other batteries.
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
Check and check 😎
Beelzeburb@reddit
And a portable solar panel. Gotta jerk off in style when shtf.
DentistRich4699@reddit
Guitar strings!
Spongebob_Tightpants@reddit
Ooof — my fiancé is a professional musician, and this hadn’t occurred to me. We’ll stock up this weekend.
AdventurousAirport16@reddit
Ho. Lee. Shizz. Balls.
How l have I never thought to stash some away before now?
Effective-Being-849@reddit
Do it yourself! Learn about catgut! /s
xamott@reddit
Yep and I put new strings on my acoustic before this past election. Extra strings on hand. Acoustic instruments to pass the time if the grid goes down!
707-5150@reddit
Yes. Thank you for reminder. And to buy acoustic as well lol
No-Garden8616@reddit
Good means to stop suffering.😍
Old_Dragonfruit6952@reddit
Seeds Spices Salt
PrairieFire_withwind@reddit
Plastic tanks, barrels, buckets.
Hauling, moving, storing, treating water requires containers.
Plastic is hugely useful. Probably some basic valves, connectors, flux or glue depending upon bits and pieces.
People underestimate the fragility of their water supply and the amount they need. Ashville is a very good example of how hard it was to get enough water to everyone.
Puzzleheaded_Town_20@reddit
Anything related to birth control: Plan B, abortion pills, birth control pills, IUD if you choose that route.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
Definitely
WillBottomForBanana@reddit
Honey. Stores well, and can be traded.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
Works as an antiseptic for cuts too
FewExit7745@reddit
Well rice, as an Asian eating rice twice a day I don't know how long I'd last without it.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
I went with rice and dried beans. Your right,
offgridgecko@reddit
you've missed the entire point of the discussion... grabbing a bunch of stuff "quickly" because I "became concerned that soon it would be very difficult of impossible to purchase" IS panic buying and not prepping.
I really don't get how stuff like this keeps jumping into the discussion here. The point of prepping (one of them anyway) is so you don't have to run to the store when everyone else is mob rushing it.
I don't do this with life essentials. I got enough rice and bagged meat and noodles and other stuff to keep life sustainable for a minute without panicking (barely missed a beat with covid and I really don't have that much crap, I'm just humble and I can get by on simple things).
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
That happens every hurricane!
Senior_Ad282@reddit
Green chartreuse
iridescent-shimmer@reddit
Omg I have a friend who educated me on the whole shortage lol.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
It’s 😢sad. When you think of how intertwined everything thing is
cleaver_username@reddit
What is the reason for that? I've only ever seen it used in a specific cocktail (Last Word, fantastic drink). Does it have medicinal properties?
Senior_Ad282@reddit
No it’s just delicious. I’d use everclear if I wanted to disinfect a wound.
cleaver_username@reddit
Oh haha, that makes sense for the question. I just thought my cocktails might somehow be useful, in addition to delicious.
BuppaLynn@reddit
Amen. That's hard to find in my market to begin with.
gramma-space-marine@reddit
I just recovered from RSV so inhalers, cough syrup, drops, tissues, and throat coat tea.
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
Us too, I’ve stocked up on every known thing to do with breathing and staying comfortable.
New_Internet_3350@reddit
I agree with this 100%. I keep a small extra stash in my preps but not enough to last forever.
nekozuki@reddit
That shit is rough. Good idea on soft tissues for the sore nose.
Soggy_Ad_4464@reddit
Coffee ❤️
SpringPowerful2870@reddit
It’s like when a hurricane is approaching Florida, we fill our gas tank up. We have food. It is so strange so many people wait to get food and gas until the water and TP is flying off the shelf along with long gas lines.
Chubbymommy2020@reddit
coffee, chocolate, fruit cocktail (if fresh fruit was unavailable), OTC medicine.
wortcrafter@reddit
Sugar and salt. Both extremely useful for food preservation and, in the case of salt especially, difficult to sub out for something else.
Seeds would be my first choice if I didn’t already I have a really good supply as I have learned how to save seeds of everything I grow. I’m doing the landrace thing, so not super concerned about cross pollination (I have already taken out any cytoplasmic male sterile lines).
KristaIG@reddit
Preferred brand of feminine products. I don’t want to deal with tampons that aren’t the best for my body.
AlternativeLack1954@reddit
Guns 🤷♂️
TikonovGuard@reddit
7.62x51
CommunicationKnown31@reddit
During Covid, i bought ivermectin, capers, tobasco, hand sanitizer, and clorox wipes when those products experienced shortages.
BillyBoogaloo@reddit
Zyns
RICTactical@reddit
Bleach or seeds. Bleach can purify water and sanitize things, seeds for obvious reasons. Growing your own food I think will be a staple of survivability (though our forefathers hunted / gathered for centuries).
disheartenedagent@reddit
Books. Non fiction I would need, especially.
I have a pile of DVDs from before the Streaming times… so I should probably at LEAST look for $5 versions of some of my newer favorites.
I have a sewing machine, various fibers and threads.
We have multiple decks of cards, and all kinds of board games. But some trivial pursuit would be great!
Candles!!!!!!!
ravens-shadows@reddit
I really wish I had gotten a whole house dehumidifier back in 2018 when we replaced the HVAC. At the time I thought "we just spent $8000 on the HVAC and the dehumidifier is another $2000. I'll hold off on that."
Fast forward to last summer. I thought, "Let's do the dehumidifier now." Called the HVAC company and the price went up from $2000 to $5000!
Prestigious-Plant338@reddit
Prescription drugs. My prescriptions that help me live a healthy normal life.
BlueOctopusFan@reddit
Medicines, as many as possible.
koookiekrisp@reddit
A jar or packets of instant yeast. I remember during COVID I wanted to make bread because I was bored but the stores were out of them everywhere because so many people wanted the same thing.
But let’s go with a more common scenario. Winter storm coming through and I want a last minute thing before hunkering down: fruit and milk. My house runs on those two things and, yes, we could live on beans and rice and etc preps, but a last minute fruit run before they go off the shelves would be nice. In an extended situation, you’re not going to have those things for a while. Luckily I’m able to power a small fridge so they’ll stay good until they’re on the shelves again. It’s kinda like eating all the ice cream in the freezer during a long power outage, just gotta enjoy it before it’s gone for a while. It’ll be back on the shelves eventually but you just gotta make it last.
Also something that I’ve learned is lactose free milk is ultra pasteurized and can last an interestingly long time if you don’t open it, some even at room temperature. Some cartons are like a month or two when I first get them. Those are definitely a high frequency cycle-through item for me.
LilPajamas@reddit
Coffee, honey, chocolate and Metamucil.
Low_Relative_7176@reddit
Abortion pills
watchesandwonders7@reddit
Murder pills you mean you sick fuck
Low_Relative_7176@reddit
lol
preppers-ModTeam@reddit
Your submission has been removed because it is not focused on the topic of prepping. As a general rule, if you have to engage in a lengthy explanation to justify why something is prepping-related... it probably isn't.
That said, you may reference products, news, current events, or politics as a way to lead into a discussion of prepping, but the main focus of the post or comment should always be on prepping.
Posts referencing politics should be framed in a neutral manner, should not include partisan language, insults, or insinuations. For example alarmist posts about "Prepping for Project 2025" are not permitted. For more specifics on politics, please see this post: (https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1apw7wx/policy_regarding_politics_2024)
When asking about or discussing products, simply asking "what is the best..." or ask about generic features or capabilities is not appropriate here. If you are looking for information on a product's features or capabilities, you should post those questions to subreddits dedicated to those products.
While firearms and other weapons have a place in prepping and prepping discussions, r/prepping is not a self-defense, firearms, or tactical gear subreddit. This is not the best place to ask which caliber, which gun, which scope, etc. Specific questions relating to these topics should be posted in subreddits dedicated to those topics.
You are welcome to reword your post and resubmit. Feel free to contact the moderators if you would like clarification on the removal reason.
watchesandwonders7@reddit
You’re the sick fuck you murderer
preppers-ModTeam@reddit
Your submission has been removed for breaking our rules on civility, trolling, or otherwise excessively hostile.
Name calling and inflammatory posts or comments with the intent of provoking users into fights will not be tolerated.
Comments that discourage others from prepping, demean them, or otherwise harm genuine discussions are not permitted and will be removed. A common example of this is discussions involving "nuclear war". If your "prep" involves suicide or inaction, keep your fatalistic commentary to yourself.
If the mod team feels that you are frequently unhelpful or cause unnecessary confrontation, you may be banned. If you feel you are being trolled or harassed, report the comment and do not respond or you may be sanctioned as well. The report function is NOT meant for you to fall back on if you start losing an argument. Similarly, if you are rude and hostile, then report someone for being the same, you may face the same punishment as them, if any.
Provoking others into becoming mean and nasty is trolling and will be dealt with accordingly.
Feel free to contact the moderators if you would like clarification on the removal reason.
cleaver_username@reddit
Says the guy on a pepper sub. I bet you got at least one box of bullets packed away, don't you? So it seems like you're ok with murdering REAL people, just not a clump of cells that haven't developed yet. Hypocrite.
preppers-ModTeam@reddit
Your submission has been removed because it is not focused on the topic of prepping. As a general rule, if you have to engage in a lengthy explanation to justify why something is prepping-related... it probably isn't.
That said, you may reference products, news, current events, or politics as a way to lead into a discussion of prepping, but the main focus of the post or comment should always be on prepping.
Posts referencing politics should be framed in a neutral manner, should not include partisan language, insults, or insinuations. For example alarmist posts about "Prepping for Project 2025" are not permitted. For more specifics on politics, please see this post: (https://www.reddit.com/r/preppers/comments/1apw7wx/policy_regarding_politics_2024)
When asking about or discussing products, simply asking "what is the best..." or ask about generic features or capabilities is not appropriate here. If you are looking for information on a product's features or capabilities, you should post those questions to subreddits dedicated to those products.
While firearms and other weapons have a place in prepping and prepping discussions, r/prepping is not a self-defense, firearms, or tactical gear subreddit. This is not the best place to ask which caliber, which gun, which scope, etc. Specific questions relating to these topics should be posted in subreddits dedicated to those topics.
You are welcome to reword your post and resubmit. Feel free to contact the moderators if you would like clarification on the removal reason.
preppers-ModTeam@reddit
Your submission has been removed for breaking our rules on civility, trolling, or otherwise excessively hostile.
Name calling and inflammatory posts or comments with the intent of provoking users into fights will not be tolerated.
Comments that discourage others from prepping, demean them, or otherwise harm genuine discussions are not permitted and will be removed. A common example of this is discussions involving "nuclear war". If your "prep" involves suicide or inaction, keep your fatalistic commentary to yourself.
If the mod team feels that you are frequently unhelpful or cause unnecessary confrontation, you may be banned. If you feel you are being trolled or harassed, report the comment and do not respond or you may be sanctioned as well. The report function is NOT meant for you to fall back on if you start losing an argument. Similarly, if you are rude and hostile, then report someone for being the same, you may face the same punishment as them, if any.
Provoking others into becoming mean and nasty is trolling and will be dealt with accordingly.
Feel free to contact the moderators if you would like clarification on the removal reason.
cleaver_username@reddit
Google Plan C! There are places you can get it now, before it is needed.
Nyarlathotep451@reddit
Salt
miscwit72@reddit
And vinegar!
LoisinaMonster@reddit
Eye drops - always my go to for the desert island game
DCJoe1970@reddit
Fuel and ammo
InternetExpertroll@reddit
Plastic straws. Early in 2021 i believed they would get banned so i bought 6,000 plastic straws. That’s just over 16 years worth if i use 1 a day.
Vegetaman916@reddit
High nicotine content cigarettes. That is the next short-term investment that will pay off.
Longjumping_Lynx_972@reddit
Ammo and fishing supplies.
O2BAKAT@reddit
Guns and ammo
Eather-Village-1916@reddit
Fire arms and ammunition
Intrepid_Chemical517@reddit
Chocolate & candy!
MynameisJunie@reddit
Coffee, water, my medicine, inhaler.
Weird-Grocery6931@reddit
1100-gallon water tanks. 55-gallon blue or black barrels.
There is almost nothing a prepper can find an alternate method for (not including guns and ammo in this), but storing water is one of the most important.
spjones20@reddit
Dog food I guess? I just started prepping months ago but always think about what the quickest way to get my dog out and keep him alive... seeing the fires in CA and all those poor animals has got me thinking about it even more now...
DeFiClark@reddit
Coffee.
pintord@reddit
Cherry Blossom candy.
xamott@reddit
Well every election it’s been guns and ammo, for the whole country.
EquivalentResearch26@reddit
Platypus 4L water purification system. It’s been great! A backup filter if you’re feeling rich lol! Hand hotties. Thermal layers. Multi charging cables (all-in-one) and a solar charger. Bleach. Beanssssss! A secondhand backpacking pack! A Peri bottle as a bidet! Batteries, of all sorts. Just throw them all in the cart lol (not Duracell, those corrode).
lol, I’ve prepped for so many years for one of our two homes, that these are the items I would purchase tomorrow for our low-prepped second home.
Everything_Is_Bawson@reddit
Yea to peri bottles! Especially the one with the angled nozzle. I never had a fancy one like that postpartum, but I wish I had!
Ilike3dogs@reddit
Tea, sweeteners and coffee. I have a caffeine addiction. I’m glad I don’t have a nicotine addiction 😅😳
cleaver_username@reddit
I buy loose leaf tea in one pound bags, and actually rotate my stash (unlike the canned veggies and soups i never eat). So far my oldest bag was maybe a year and half old, taste just the same.
PolarisFallen2@reddit (OP)
This one. I have a few instant coffee and tea bags and then caffeine pills for if things really get rough.. no caffeine withdrawal in the middle of a natural disaster or something, thank you.
Ilike3dogs@reddit
I’m also growing tea (camilla sinensis) this is what caffeinated teas are made from. Keep this on the downlow though. Growing your own tea and coffee is illegal.
Resident-Welcome3901@reddit
Coffee doesn’t store we’ll, but nodoz and similar caffeine tablets last a long time. Caffeine is part of my first aid kit; in the fifties, amphetamine sulfate tabs was a part of merchant marine first aid kits: a little alertness can help sometimes.
ThisIsAbuse@reddit
25-30 year freeze dried coffee is available. I have a bucket (720 servings) in my SHTF supplies
joecoin2@reddit
Food and fuel for chainsaws.
The grid could go down but I'd be fed and warm.
Until the boogeyman comes
miamitime1@reddit
I’ve pretty well have had everything since January 2020. I did add extra wiper blades this time around last week. Going to have to up date anything expired this year.
dMatusavage@reddit
Coffee and good chocolate
Matt_Rabbit@reddit
booze.
davidm2232@reddit
Fuel. I have a good amount. But if it became scarce, I would want a lot more. If for nothing else then to resell
Genesis2001@reddit
One of my vices is soda, and in a SHTF scenario, idk what I'd do to sustain it. I can stockpile it, but that's only gonna last me a short while.
If I have coffee drinkers in my community, I'd also stockpile that if I thought it'd be difficult to get later.
After-Leopard@reddit
What about a soda stream flavoring? I thought they had versions of most sodas although not sure how economical it is to stock up on.
hbHPBbjvFK9w5D@reddit
So I suggest you invest in a carboy, sugar, yeast, and books on identifying local plants and making sodas? Root beer or Sarsaparilla soda are still brewable and delicious.
Genesis2001@reddit
Yeah, my quick GPT search mentioned root beer, and I'm not opposed to the idea. I remember drinking some when I was up in Kirkland/Bellevue, WA for a quick one week meet-and-greet of the team, and I loved the local root beers I'd get at the restaurants up there. (I don't live in WA; I was just visiting for the week.)
BayouGal@reddit
Coffee. Chocolate. Dried peppers & seeds.
Capital_Gas_2503@reddit
Ammo... always ammo
ryan112ryan@reddit
Fruit that’s grown outside my region. So basically all citrus, honey crisp apples, kiwis, pineapple, bananas
swadekillson@reddit
I bought a thermal optic because I'm concerned it'll be tougher to get the chips for them soon.
MissDebbie420@reddit
Weed
Guardiancomplex@reddit
I just bought a quart of my favorite hotel sauce.
Habanero Heaven, it's so good. Inexplicably it's made in Maine.
Low_Night1@reddit
Yes coffee
Roombaloanow@reddit
Solar panel charging things. Like I've got little ones but I've been hesitant to drop big money on a big one. The price will go down! The tech will get better! Oh, wait...
Dmau27@reddit
Ammo.
Passafire_420@reddit
Cannabis
TatersAndHotSauce@reddit
Coffee. Peanut butter. Hygiene products. A deck of cards.
It_is_Fries_No_Patat@reddit
Petrol!
I need to bug out cause I live in a big city and will be MDK-ed if SFHT
So a lot of Petrol.
Crygenx@reddit
Superhot peppers and some of the local beers
HappyAnimalCracker@reddit
Garbage bags
Subject-Loss-9120@reddit
Freeze dried eggs, butter, milk. Lots if it.
AB-1987@reddit
Shoes and socks etc in bigger sizes for the growing kid.
Fabric and sewing supplies to flexibly mend and produce clothes at home for the family.
a backup smartphone
lots of contacts and maybe an additional pair of glasses
fever medicine for kids
some christmas/birthday presents
a bike
JaneInAustralia@reddit
Mascara
slinkybink@reddit
Glam it up girl!
JaneInAustralia@reddit
😆 I’m going into the apocalypse glam 😉
dreagrave@reddit
Pads/tampons (3 menstruating people in the house), diapers and wipes (21m old baby), candles, mini propane tanks, coffee, chocolate, and some way to make ocean water drinkable since I live by the beach but not near a fresh water source that I know of
Funny-Education2496@reddit
Well, my first two thoughts are the ability to generate electrical power independently, and lots and lots of firewood, because I am lucky enough to have a wood stove that heats the whole house.
I am on a well system as far as water, and the pump that draws the water into the house of course runs on electricity, so I would probably have to replace that with one that can draw power from the Powerwalls or other large batteries where power is stored from solar or wind.
I know a lot of people will say ammunition. I am lucky enough to live in an area where I don't anticipate needing that much.
More important, I think, is all the medical concerns. I have a first aide kit, but it occurred to me one day that since I am neither a doctor nor a nurse, I don't really know what to do with most of the supplies in the kit. Apart from taking nursing classes or emergency first aide classes, having a girlfriend who is a doctor or nurse would come in very handy.
Then there is the all important communications gear. I think it is a given that you must have satellite communications gear, since the internet and LTE cannot be relied upon to remain up and running. If you're part of a group, learning to set up a MESH network is a worthwhile investment of your time. Which brings us to batteries and the ability to recharge them. I should also learn how HAM radio works.
Paper maps, since GPS will likely not be available. And mountain bikes, still, I think, the most reliable form of transport, and a stealthy one too.
And books, lots of books. And board games. Boredom, strange as it sounds, could easily become a factor when nothing is working.
its_nothing_personal@reddit
Booze. Definitely Booze.
Chroniclesvideos@reddit
I would buy a yurt 🛖 and move into the forest. I’d definitely bring my still ..😅
Krillgein@reddit
Ammunition
MrSparklesan@reddit
medical stuff…. at least if I know it’s in short supply I can taper off some of my scripts. would suck to do it hard and fast.
Soulpatch7@reddit
All the dry beans in the store. Every store.
slinkybink@reddit
Solar setup. I've got an EV, so that powers my ride. Canned goods, rice, etc, and any meds needed by anyone who happens to be along for the ride. And yeast! Definitely yeast.
Ok_Background_3065@reddit
Cocain 🤣🤣🤣🤣
NBA2024@reddit
Food water shelter
SummerRaleigh@reddit
Guns & Ammunition.
This is always the answer.
OnTheEdgeOfFreedom@reddit
Cattle.
A wide variety of fruit and vegetable seeds.
A large underground water cistern.
Spare solar panels.
A better solar cooker, if I can ever find one.
More beekeeping supplies.
A small tractor.
I mean if it's going to get hard to buy stuff, I might as well make the jump to homesteading.
But of those, I think only the solar panels are at all likely to become harder to get.
BidOk5829@reddit
Coffee, tobacco, and one other thing
Imaginary0Friend@reddit
Coffee.
Elandycamino@reddit
Guns, Ammo, Diesel, MREs, Toilet paper
ColumnAandB@reddit
MREs. Sure, not the best, but yes. Next would be hunting gear. And candles.
ItchyEscalator@reddit
E-books. Video games. Maybe light bulbs and tires?
PMMEYOURDOGPHOTOS@reddit
Anything perishable I wouldn’t use. No food item would be worth it to me. If you buy a ton of coffee you’re just gonna put off having to deal without it.
Guns are that thing for me. If I was sure in my state I couldn’t buy an AR15 or large magazines I would quite literally max out my credit card to get as many as I could. They last a long time.
ReactionAble7945@reddit
If I had the funds....
I would buy enough land that I wouldn't have to worry about neighbors. In a place where my neighbors didn't have to worry about neighbors.
I would have a decent sized lake and a house that is designed low maintenance and can be locked up and locked down and I don't have to worry about people getting in or fire or flood or ....
Being that I don't have that kind of money, job....
Eat what you store, store what you eat.
Buy new shoes when you start wearing the one you had in storage. On that same note, don't go out of country with old shoes. Small people outside the country.
Buy new coat when you start wearing the one you had in storage.
Buy 2 cases of ammo. When the first case is empty, buy another case. (Or maybe 10 and when you finish 1, buy 1.)
If you are a AR15 and Glock21 person, buy another AR15 and Glock21 setup just like the primaries. (Or Colt, or CZ or Sig or ... Even more important as Sig and CZ and Colt tend to not keep the same model.)
papaeriktheking@reddit
Guns, ammo, toilet paper
geetarman84@reddit
Guns and ammo.
Best_Pollution6847@reddit
XRP!!!
Main_Ad_5147@reddit
DeWalt flex volt batteries and or a mountain of dark chocolate.
qwerkfork@reddit
Shovel.
No-Garden8616@reddit
Rebars.
Status-Shock-880@reddit
Snickers